Inside the Box

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Inside the Box

• The Vital Pieces
• Operating Systems
• Printers
• New Canaan LibraryWinter 2002

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What we will look at

• CPU or Computer Chip
• Main Memory RAM (Temporary Storage)
• Hard Disk (Permanent Storage)
• Drives (Portable Storage)
• Video/Sound Cards
• Ports
• Monitors
• Operating Systems (Software)
• Printers

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CPU

• CPU (Central Processing Unit) or Chip is the
  heart of the computer.
• CPU processes instructions, performs
  calculations and manages the flow of information
  throughout the computer system.

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CPU

• The CPU speed is a major (but not the only)
  factor in determining how fast a computer
  operates.
• CPU speed is measured in megahertz (MHz),
  millions of cycles per second or gigahertz (GHz),
  billions of cycles per second.

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CPU

• Today there are several different types of CPUs
  with different speeds to choose from
• Intel Pentium Processor
• Intel Celeron Processor
• AMD Athlon Processor
• AMD Duron Processor

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CPU

• Intel Pentium Processor
• Pentium 4 is the latest generation, with a
  processing speed up to 2.0 GHz.
• Pentium IIIs are still common in new computers
  with speeds ranging from 700 MHz to 1.13 GHz

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CPU

• Intel Celeron Processor
• An inexpensive CPU designed to meet the needs
  and budgets of most home computer users.
• Similar to the Pentium, but have less built-in
  memory.
• Available in speeds up to 900 MHz.

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CPU

• AMD Athlon Processor
• The AMD Athlon is a high-performance processor
  manufactured by AMD, suitable for businesses and
  home users who need a powerful processor.

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CPU

• AMD Duron Processor
• The AMD Duron is an inexpensive CPU designed to
  meet the needs of most computer users with speeds
  up to 900 MHz.

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CPU

• Recommended CPU
• Celeron or Duron based computers for the more
  cost conscious.
• Pentium III, 4 or AMD Athlon for the power user.

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Memory (Temporary Storage)

• RAM (Random Access Memory) or Main Memory
• The amount of RAM memory determines the number
  of programs a computer can run at once and how
  fast programs will operate.
• Memory is measured in megabytes (MB). You should
  buy a computer with at least 128 MB of memory

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Memory

• Think of RAM as work space
• You can improve the performance of your computer
  by adding more memory.
• RAM is temporary memory

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Memory

• Memory comes in different forms
• DRAM (Dynamic RAM) is a type of memory chip that
  makes up the main memory in many computer systems
• SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) is a faster type of
  memory chip found in most new computer systems.
  SDRAM transfers at a rate of 133 MHz

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Memory

• RDRAM (Rambus DRAM) is a new type of memory chip
  often found in high-performance computers. It can
  transfer data at up to 600 MHz.
• ECC (Error-correcting code memory) Includes a
  special circuitry for testing the accuracy of
  data as it passes in/out of memory

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Memory

• Recommended Memory
• 128 MB - 256 MB for all new computers. Look for
  SDRAM or RDRAM with ECC.

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Hard Disk(Permanent Storage)

• With Hard disk, both size and speed matters.
• Today the amount of information a hard disk can
  store is measured in Gigabytes (GB)
• The speed at which the platter in the hard disk
  spins is measured in Revolutions Per Minute (RPM)
• The speed at which a hard drive finds data is
  the Average Access Time or Seek Time.

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Hard Disk

• Average Access Time or Seek Time is measured
  in milliseconds (MS). One millisecond equals
  1/1000 of a second. Seek time is important to the
  overall performance of the computer
• Most hard drives have an average access time
  between 8 to 15 ms.
• The lower the average access time, the faster
  the hard drive.

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Hard Disk

• Types of hard disk interfaces
• EIDI
• SCSI
• Firewire
• (SCSI and Firewire need a separate interface
  card, are more expensive but faster than EIDI)

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Hard Disk

• Types of EIDI drives
• Regular EIDI
• DMA
• Ultra ATA

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Hard Disk

• DMA and Ultra ATA hard drives runs faster faster
  than regular EIDI
• Speed
• DMA 5400 RPM
• ATA 7200 RPM

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Hard Disk

• Recommended Hard Disk
• 20 - 40 GB Ultra ATA 7-9 ms seek time, 7200 RPM

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Video Card

• The video card is the interface between the CPU
  and the monitor.
• A video card has its own memory chip which
  stores information before sending it to the
  monitor.
• Most computers require at least 2 MB of video
  card memory (VRAM).

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Video Card

• An Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) video card
  uses an AGP bus to communicate directly with the
  computers main memory.
• This allows quicker display of complex images on
  the monitor.
• AGP is specially designed to meet the high
  demands of displaying 3D images.

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Video Card

• Recommended Video Card
• 2X - 4X AGP, 16-64 MB RAM, 3-D card with a good
  brand name.
• Some good brand names are
• ATI, Creative and Voodoo

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Sound Card

• The sound card is the interface that allows you
  to listen to sounds on your PC
• The sampling rate of a sound card determines the
  quality of the sound produced. The higher the
  sampling rate, the better the sound quality
• Look for a sampling rate of at least 44.1 KHz

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Sound Card

• Full-duplex
• A full-duplex sound card lets you talk and
  listen at the same time.
• When using a computer to have a conversation
  over the Internet, a full-duplex sound card lets
  people talk at the same time.

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Sound Cards

• Recommended Sound Card
• Diamond MX 300, 400, 600 or the family of
  SoundBlaster Live Cards.

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Drives (Portable Storage)

• Floppy
• CD-ROM
• CD-RW
• DVD
• DVD-R

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Drives

• Floppy Drive
• A floppy drive is a storage device that
  magnetically stores data.
• Floppy drives use 3.5 inch floppy disks.
• A floppy disk can hold 1.44 MBs of information.

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Drives

• CD-ROM Drive
• CD-ROM means Compact Disc-Read-Only-Memory.
• Read-only means you cannot change the
  information stored on the disc
• A single CD-ROM stores up to 650 MB of
  information (thats over 400 floppy disks)

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Drives

• CD-ROM Applications
• Install Programs
• Play Multimedia CD-ROM Discs
• Play Music CDs

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Drives

• CD-ROM Speed
• How fast the CD-ROM disc spins determines its
  speed
• The higher the speed, the faster information can
  transfer from the disk to the computer.
• You should buy at least a 48X (7,200 KB/s)
  CD-ROM drive.

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Drives

• CD-RW Drives
• A CD-RW means Compact Disc-ReWritable.
• CD-RWs allow you to write, and re-write, data on
  CD-RW discs.
• CD-R discs allow you to write BUT NOT re-write
  data to the disk.

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Drives

• CD-RW Applications
• Store and Transfer Data (Up to 700 MB)
• Record Music (Up to 74 minutes)
• Play Music CDs
• Play Multimedia CDs

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Drives

• CD-RW Speed
• CD-RW drives operate at several speeds.
• Example
• Write 12X
• Rewrite 10X
• Read 32X

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Drives

• Write speed refers to how fast a CD-RW can
  record data on a CD-R disc
• Re-Write speed refers to how fast it can write
  to a CD-RW disc
• Read refers to how fast data transfers from a
  disc to the computer

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Drives

• DVD-ROM
• Stands for Digital Versatile Disc-Read-Only
  Memory. You cannot change the information stored
  on a DVD-ROM.
• A DVD-ROM is similar in size and shape to a
  CD-ROM, but can store much more information (4.7
  to 17 GB)

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Drives

• DVD-ROM Applications
• Play DVD Video (w/MPEG2 decoder)
• Play Music CDs
• Play Multimedia DVDs or CDs

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Drives

• DVD-ROM Speed
• The speed of a DVD-ROM drive determines how
  quickly data can transfer from a disc to the
  computer.
• Current drives commonly have a speed of 6X

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Drives

• Recordable DVD Drives
• A recordable DVD allows you to record data on
  rewritable DVD discs.
• Recordable DVDs are also known as DVD-RAM and
  DVD-R.
• DVD-Ram can play CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs music
  CDs and DVD Video.

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Ports

• USB and Firewire
• USB and Firewire ports allow you to easily
  connect peripheral devices to your computer
• USB and Firewire are very fast ports
• USB/Firewall automatically detect and install
  the device

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Ports

• USB (Universal Serial Bus)
• Current version of USB can transfer information
  at a speed of up to 12 megabits per second
  (Mbps).
• USB 2.0 will be able to transfer information at
  a speed of 480 Mbps.
• USB is often used to connect scanners, printers,
  keyboards, etc.

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Ports

• Firewire (a.k.a. IEEE 1394 or I.link)
• A firewire port can transfer information at a
  speed of up to 400 Mbps.
• Firewire is useful for connecting high-speed
  devices such as digital video cameras and
  external hard drives.

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Modem

• Modem
• A modem lets computer exchange information over
  telephone lines
• 56 Kbps (5,600 bits per second) is the highest
  speed dial-up.
• V.92/V.44 is a new standard promising higher
  speed dial-up (300 Mbps), faster connection speed
  and the ability to take calls without
  disconnecting from the Internet

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Network Adapter

• Ethernet Card
• Is an adapter that allows you to connect your
  computer to a network.
• Needed for Broadband connections to the Internet
  (e.g. Cable, DSL)

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Monitors

• Monitor Size
• Monitor size is measured diagonally across the
  screen. Common sizes are 14, 15, 17, 19, 21
  inches.
• Large monitors are more expensive and are good
  for working with graphics, video editing or large
  spreadsheets.

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Monitors

• Flat-panel
• A flat-panel monitor uses Liquid Crystal Display
  (LCD).
• Flat-panels are more expensive but are lighter,
  take up less desk space and use less electricity.

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Monitors

• Dot Pitch
• The dot pitch is the distance between pixels on
  a screen. A pixel is the smallest element on a
  screen.
• Dot pitch determines the sharpness of images
  and is measured in millimeters (mm)
• The smaller the dot pitch, the sharper the
  image. Select a monitor with a dot pitch of
  0.28mm or less.

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Monitors

• Refresh Rate
• The refresh rate determines the speed that a
  monitor redraws, or updates, images. The higher
  the rate the less flicker on the screen.
• Refresh is measured in hertz (Hz) and tells you
  the number of times per second the monitor
  redraws the entire screen.
• Choose a monitor with a refresh rate of 72 Hz or
  more.

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Operating System

• Windows 98
• Windows ME
• Windows XP (Home Edition)
• Windows NT and 2000 are more commonly used for
  running business applications. They provide
  advanced networking and security features.

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Operating System

• Operating System (OS)
• An operating system is the software that controls
  the overall activity of a computer.
• Controls Hardware
• Runs Software
• Manages Information

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Operating System

• Platform
• A platform refers to the type of operating
  system used by a computer, such as Windows, Mac
  OS or UNIX.
• Programs designed for use on one platform will
  not usually work on another platform.

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Operating System

• Windows 98
• Windows 98 is more stable than Win95
• More maintenance tools
• FAT 32 File system (uses hard drive space more
  efficiently)
• More Internet Programs (Explorer, Outlook,
  Frontpage express)

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Operating System

• Window ME
• Movie Maker, allows you to record, edit and save
  videos on your computer
• Enhanced version of Media Player to help manage
  your multimedia files
• Home networking wizard
• System Restore feature

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Operation System

• Windows XP
• New visual design
• Digital photo features
• CD Burner Software
• Video production
• Instant messaging and video conferencing
• Recovery tools
• More secure, stable, reliable and dependable

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Printers

• Ink Jet
• Laser
• Ink Jet Color Photo Printer

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Printers

• Speed
• The speed of a printer determines how quickly it
  can print pages
• Speed is measured in pages per minute (PPM)
• A higher speed results in faster output.

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Printers

• Resolution
• The resolution of a printer determines the
  quality of the images it can produce. A higher
  resolution yields sharper, more detailed images.
• Resolution is measured in dots per inch (DPI).
  600 dpi is good for most text documents. 1200 dpi
  is good for images.

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Printers

• Ink-Jet
• Ink-jets produce high-quality documents at a low
  price. Ideal for routine business and personal
  documents
• An ink-jet printer has a print head that sprays
  ink through small nozzles onto a page.
• Speed 2 - 10 ppm Resolution 360 - 2400 dpi

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Printers

• Laser
• Laser printer is a high-speed printer ideal for
  business, personal documents and professional
  graphics
• A laser printer works like a photocopier to
  produce high-quality images on a page

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Printers

• Laser Process
• A tiny laser beam scans across a rotating,
  electrostatically charged drum to create an image
  of the printed page. Toner sticks to the scanned
  image on the drum, which in turn rolls onto the
  paper, where the toner is fused at about 400
  degrees to create a hard copy.

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Printers

• Laser Speed
• Most lasers produce images at a speed of 4-16
  ppm
• All lasers have a CPU that processes
  instructions and manages information flow within
  the printe
• Laser printers store pages in built-in memory
  before printing. Typical laser CPU speed is 2 MB
  to 8MB and can be upgraded

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Printers

• Memory is important for laser printers that
  produce images at high resolutions, such as 2400
  dpi.
• Memory is also important for laser printers that
  print on larger paper sizes and process complex
  print jobs.

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Printer

• Laser Resolution
• The resolution or quality of the images produced
  by a laser printer ranges from 600 to 2400 dpi

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Printers

• Color Photo Printer
• A color photo printer is designed to produce
  photographic-quality images.
• Photo quality printers can accept special types
  of paper and use a different cartridge from
  standard ink-jet printers.

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Inside the Box

• QUESTIONS?

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Inside the Box

• THANK YOU
• Jeff Zaino, Systems Librarian
• New Canaan Library
• Fall 2001